1988 Chevy Truck - Busted Knuckles

Far-Out Fullsize-A Toast To The Old School

We met up with Stephen McComb and his ground punishing '88 Chevy at Texas Showdown. In fact, it was the first thing we saw while at the show, since we arrived a little earlier than most of the registered vehicles. At first glance, we just noticed a cool, old square lying on the ground, but once in closer proximity, we noticed it was a Crew Cab. You can imagine how much our level of enthusiasm skyrocketed after seeing the bigger picture.

Stephen has been fiddling with his new project for eight months now, and in that time, he's had Chaotic Rods and Customs, in Conroe, Texas, fab a 2x4-inch boxed frame from the firewall back. A purpose-built two-link setup has been devised for the use of wide rear tires when the time comes, so the links and Slam Specialties RE7 'bags have been tucked safely inside the confines of the frame. Stephen also plans on narrowing the rearend six inches to ensure the maximum amount of meats can be utilized. The front crossmember has been Z'd three inches by Chaotic, and then Stephen boxed and gusseted it for added strength. Belltech 2-inch spindles can also be found up front, and their shocks have been bolted onto each corner for optimum ride and handling.

As far as the engine and drivetrain are concerned, Stephen upgraded the stock 454ci V-8 with a Performance Products air intake, a Holley 750 carb, an MSD ignition, a Lunati cam, and a Flowmaster 2 1/2-inch exhaust system. The driveshaft has been shortened a bit and the truck's axles have been converted to a 1/2-ton from its previous 3/4-ton status.

So far, a stock-floor body drop with a 1-inch driveshaft tunnel has been completed, and the gas door, stake pockets, driprails, and taillights have been deleted from the equation. We're digging the addition of the '59 Caddy tails, which will tie in with the matching '59 dash and steering wheel that are also slated to make an appearance. Stephen plans on chopping the roof line three inches and shaving the door handles and the front bumper so he can stretch a '68 Camaro unit to fit.

As you may notice, the truck is slowly evolving into a nod to the '60s, which is actually being done to honor Stephen's dad who is a custom paint and body expert from the old days. We hope you've been as dazzled by Stephen's work in progress as we were when we spotted it first. It's sure to be a crowd favorite once it's wrapped up.